Okay this is a weird situation...my father passed away in June and his wife decided to move out of the house and on the day she was supposed to move she died. So since then I have checked my fathers mailbox everyday because I am responsible for his estate. The wife was moving in with her sister. Well today my sister got home and found two envelopes stuck in her door with my dad's address on it with a fowarded address on it, and one envelope had been opened. So the wife has been dead for two weeks now and the sister has not called to let me know that she has my fathers mail. I called her tonight to find out who took those two envelopes to my sisters house and the sisters son answered the phone and said there was no mail coming to that address which i know is a lie because on the envelopes it has that address where they are staying. So my question is because they are getting my fathers mail and flat out told me a lie about having it, is it considered mail tampering?
2007-09-14 18:22:43 · 6 answers · asked by adriannahsmom 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
i agree with kevin k's answer but also add that you need to call the postmaster to make sure if it is officially mail tampering or not and the postmaster can tell you that also and if it is he can refer you to your next step as each state's laws conserning interpretation of federal mandated law may vary and the postmaster can advise you of your rights and your next course of action that you need to take to make sure you are getting your father's mail as his next of kin/guardian of his estate
2007-09-14 18:46:20 · answer #1 · answered by Pale Rider 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Technically, it is. However, look at the bigger picture here. They are in mourning, as I am sure you are. It is very easy to just open mail without double checking who it is addressed to in the best of circumstances. "The mail arrived in your mailbox, it must be for you" is a common enough assumption; so don't get angry over it.
Just tell them that you want to make sure that your father's final bills are all paid and his affairs are put into order. To do that, you would like to have all the mail that should come to you be left unopened. In return, you will not open any mail addressed to your father's wife and any letters addressed to both of them will be opened in their presence. Especially if they hold any mail they receive that is addressed to both of the departed.
Kindness will be the key here, you certainly do not want to act the jerk. However, if there are problems with them about this, find a vicious lawyer to go after them.
2007-09-14 18:37:49 · answer #2 · answered by Kevin k 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, contact the police and the post office. Especially if the mail only had his name on it. This is a federal offense.
2007-09-14 18:31:11 · answer #3 · answered by wuddy12 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ask this question of your local Postmaster. If he or she is not sure, they will contact a Postal Inspector that can give you the right answer.
2007-09-14 18:29:01 · answer #4 · answered by Mike 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If anyone opens mail that isn't theirs, it is mail tampering.
Talk to the police about changing the mail, but it has to go through his executor of his estate.
2007-09-14 18:43:41 · answer #5 · answered by infobrokernate 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Call the post office , speak to the postmaster and ask him..
2007-09-14 18:31:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋